While 100% cotton fabrics provide excellent resistance to nuisance static created by friction rubbing at relative humidities above 45%, they generate considerable electric shocks when rubbed below 35% relative humidity. Fabrics made from blends of cotton and nylon have better durability than cotton fabrics but have antistatic properties as poor as 100% cotton fabrics at low relative humidity. It is generally known that nuisance static can be reduced to acceptable levels in cotton/nylon fabrics by adding at least 1% of thermoplastic fibers doped with carbon black to both the warp and fill yarns. However, light colored fabric cannot be produced by this method using the dyes normally used on cotton/nylon blends because of the streaks caused by the black antistatic fibers.
It would be highly desirable to be able to use carbon doped antistatic fibers in cotton/nylon blend fabrics of light shades because the antistatic properties provided in this manner are permanent and do not wash out.